Pulp-feeding device



April 14, 1931. H. E. HOLCOMB 1,801,004

PULP FEEDING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. HOLCOM B, OF STBATFORID, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR '10 FIBERFRAKS INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK rnLr-rnnnrne nnvrcn Application filed May 29, 1328. Serial No. 281,442.

The present invention is concerned primarily with the provision of improved means for so regulating the flow of pulp stock to the pulp tank of a paper making machine that the fiber layer withdrawn from the tank by the endless moving collector web may be uniform and result in a consequent uniform ity of the finished paper.

The invention is further concerned with the provision of an improved feed mecha nism for delivering the'pulp stock to the tank. An object of the invention is to provide a pulp feed controlling means which will as sure the presencein the pulp tank of the proper quantity of pulp at all times so that.

vide both feeding mechanism and feed cone trolling mechanism of simple, practical construction, which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture, installa tion and operation.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a substantially uniform quantity of pulp stock is maintained in the pulp tank or vat by the simple expedient of synchronizingthe pulpfeed mechanism with the speed of the collector web. This may be accomplished by operatingthe feeder mechanism directly from the collector web driving means or by operating the feeder from any part of the machine which is synchronized with such driving means. u

Preferably the feeder which is utilized and which represents an improvement over the non-positive pumping means at present in use, consists of a rotary measuring device delivering predetermined quantities of stock at each rotation.

. sheet on the travelling web regardless of variations in the speed of the latter.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing which is a highly diagrammatic broken vere tical sectional view taken through the pulp tank and its superjacent supply and feed mechanism. a

In the drawing a pulp tank 10 has therein a drum 11 which is rotatable on a horizontal shaft, 12. An endless web 13 ofwire gauze or other suitable'material passes around the drum 11, being led over suitable guiding rollers 14. The drum is for the most part immersed in the pulp stockwhich substantially fills the tank 10 and as the endless collector web 13 passes around the drum through the tank, certain of the fibers from the stock adhere to the web and are carried out of the tank in the form of an endless wet fiber sheet.

To avoid complexity ofillustration I have not shown the suction mechanism of the drum which causes the fiber to adhere to the web nor have I illustrated the means for drying andstripping the fiber sheet from theweb.

Arranged at oneiside of the tank 10 near the upper end thereof is a trough 15 into which the fiber stock flows through the sup ply pipe 16 and overflowing from the trough enters the tank 10.

A guard or deflector plate 17 is arranged within the tank lObetween the drum 11 andthe trough 15 so that the inflowing pulp stock cannot come into contact with-the web 13 until the stock has descended some distance into the tank and been mixed with the main body of fiber carrying liquid in the tank.

Supported at ahigher level than the tank 10, as for instance'on the standards 18, is a supply tank 19. This tank at one side is divided by a pair of transverse partitions 20 and 21 which together with the tank define the laterally adjacent inlet chamber 22 and overflow chamber 23. Theinletchamber is 190 tering from the pipe 24 normally flows over the wall 21 into the body ofthe tank or rather flows into the tank to an extent limited by my improved liquid damming rotary feeder.

'This feeder includes a hub 26 mounted on a shaft 27 extending transversely of the tank 19 at a level below the top of the partition 21. The hub 26 carries any, suitable number of radial blades 28 extending thefull width of the. tank and cooperatively defining a series of liquid measuring pockets between them.

' Means is provided for preventing the liquid from escaping directly past the feeder to the outlet 29 which connects with the pipe 16. This means consists of 'a curved sealing'wall $0 struck from the center of the shaft 27 and against which the ends of the blades 28 snugly fit as the'bla'des move through the lower portion of the tank 19,. Preferably'the wall 30 constitutes the concave upper snrface of solid block 31 resting on or forming partof thebottom of the tank 19. ,Oneverticalside l 32 of this" block. may carry rails 33in which the partition '21' is slidably vertically adjustable, a set screw being used to retain thispartition in adjusted position. The outlet 29 is'formed in thebotjtom of a pocket 35.

definedby the opposite vertical end 'wall 36 the block 31 and an; end wall of the'tank 19. The wall 36 may terminate below the top of the opposite partition of the block and somewhat, below the at shaft 27.1"-

Any suitable means may be utilized. for

synchronizing the speed of rotation oft he feeder and the sp'eed'of rotation of the web.

13'." *Eolrj illustrative purposes, I have shown this means" somewhat diagrammaticallyas anv endle s belt'37 runningaround pulleys 38, 39 carried by the fee der'shaft 27 and the drum shaft 12 respectively.

I ihe operation as follows:

ofthe feeder is substantially Assume the feeder to be rotating in a clockd ectio W o o th la e 28 reaches aposition'where its free'end isjadja centthe upper edge of the partition 21 this blade will be inclining downwardly to'wands h h bmnd w th he 1 :ina van lof a. will 'define apoc k et in which certain amount if stock. will e'ntr nped; th f fi Q .q i

ti y depending pon he l qu d at ft-he stock confined between the" feeder and overflew will 2 By t t m th new blad of a pocket reaches" a point where its free end'ifs...

iib fa tially a th le e 0f the t p. 5 f wan;

th Pock t, wi l hav meted thrp lgh S1154 st anti ally"18QP/i .d it lqiyefr' wall will lin te th sea 2 a? means coacting therewith to partition wall 36 permitting the liquid which has been carriedby the measuring pocket to blades and the trough wall 30, assuming the inflow to berapid enough ilk Proportion to.

the speedo'f the feederfi The free'edge of least one-blade is always higher thanftheqvgrfflow partition 20, so that theliquid can never flowdirectly over the top of thefeeder to the outlet. a

"The length'of the wall 3Q will dependv pri- .maril uponthe distance between the'iends of ad acent bladesof the feeder,'this wall being infany event'longer than anfarc struck from the shaft 27 and cennecting he this of two adjacent blades." By this arrangement one blade clears the Wall -32.an'd pe'rm'itstlie liquid'to fiOW into. the trough formedbyf 3 .9.-

oc 1 th i9 1dwi ebl d wiuihavm l d intoflseaung e agem nt with the wallai' to prevent any direct flowthr'oughfthisf HQllgh. under the feeder blades to the 'outletl The 1 manner in I-which the synchronism of the feeder and the 'drumassurestheproduc tion of 'a' substantially uniform sheet, of fiber a the o11ejaorwebi1awi11 be. Obviou As. the speed of ttavel Off theiweb" increases, the speed ofthe drum willincr'eas Cdns'eqil lyI the tee'der'will' speed up'and deliver fiber. to the'tank 10., -Asthespeed ofthe web 30 decreases the speed" of the feed mechanism the formation ofa 'fiber sheet'which'is unduly orjundulythin at certainlpoi'tions s 9M a s wh n i po r feedthe we and here is n syn hrqniza o lbef tweenwebandfeeder.

Having thus (lescribedmy invention;

Ic'laim as new and desire to sceu're by Let-: tersPat ntis'a- "Inastock feeding mec'hanism for'paper aking mana ement; a; supplych'ambe'r stock from the supply chamber into the pocket.

2. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, a supply chamber adjacent one side of the tank having an inlet in its bottom, a pocket adjacent the opposite side of the tank having an outlet in its bottom, a rotary feeder interposed between the supply chamber and pocket, and means coacting therewith to dam free flow of stock from the supply chamber into the pocket, said feeder including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon and extending the full width of the tank.

3. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, means for supply ing liquid at one side of the tank, means through which the liquid flows to discharge from the opposite side of the tank, a rotary feeder interposed between supply and discharge means, and means coacting therewith to dam free flow of stock from the supply means to discharge, said feeder including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon, and coacting means comprising a curved sealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free ends of the blades snugly fit as they move through the lower end of the tank.

l. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, a supply chamber having an inlet in its bottom, a pocket adjacent the opposite wall of the tank having a discharge opening in its bottom, a rotary feeder interposed between the supply chamher and pocket, and including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon, and a curved sealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free ends of the blades snugly fit as they move through the lower end of the tank, said wall being lower at the end thereof near the pocket than at the end at jacent the supply chamber.

5. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, means for supplyingliquid at one side of the tank, means through which the liquid flows to discharge from the opposite side of the tank, a rotary feeder interposed between supply and discharge means, and including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon and a curved sealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free ends of the blades snugly fit as they move through the lower end of the tank, said wall being of greater length than an arc struck from the axis of rotation of the feeder and connecting the two adjacent blades.

6. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, means for supply ing liquid at one side of the tank, means through whichthe liquid flows to discharge from theoppositeside of thetank, a rotary feeder interposed :between" supply and discharge? means, 1 and including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon, and a curvedsealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free, ends of the blades snugly: fit as they move through the lower endofthe tank, said wallbeingformediby the concave uppersurface of a block arranged inthe'tank bottom. 1

7 In a stock feeding mechanism for paper makingmachines, a tank, means for supplying liquid at one side of thetank, means through which the liquid flows to discharge from the opposite side of the tank, a rotary feeder interposed between supply and discharge means, and including a transverse supportingshaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon, and a curved sealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free ends of the blade snugly fit asthey movethroughthe lower end of thetank, said wallbeing formediby the concave surface of a block arranged in the tank bottom, the end walls of said block being vertical, one of them cooperating with a tank wall to define the pocket.

8. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, means for supplying liquid at one side of the tank, means through which the liquid flows to discharge from the opposite side of the tank, a rotary feeder interposed between supply and discharge means, and including a transverse sup porting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon, and a curved sealing wall constituting part of the tank bottom and against which the free ends of the blades snugly fit as they move through the lower end of the tank, said wall being formed by the concave surface of a block arranged in the tank bottom, the end walls of said block being vertical, one of them cooperating with a tank wall to define the pocket, and the other of them guiding the vertical adjustment for partition defining one side of the supply chamber.

9. In a stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, a tank, a supply chamber having an inlet therein, and one wall of the tank having an outlet in its bottom, a pocket adjacent the opposite side of the tank havmg a discharge opening therein, a rotary feeder interposed between the supply chamber and pocket, and means coacting therewith to dam free flow of stock from the supply chamber into the pocket, said feeder including a transverse supporting shaft and a series of radial blades mounted thereon and extending the fullwidth of the tank, the axis of rotation of the feeder being above the top of the pocket and below the level of the lower wall ofthe supply chamber.

a: p g V v 1,801,604

* 10. 'A stock feeding meohanism'for paper making machines, including a tank having an upwardly facing concave wall, a rotary measuring device including a horizontal shaft coaxial with said wall and having'a series of blades movable along saidwall during the rotation of saidshaft, separate outlets at the opposite ends of said tank, a partition between one of said outlets and vsaid Wall, and means for'delivering stock between said partition and said wall.

11. A stock feeding mechanism for paper making machines, including a tank' havlng an upwardly facing concave wall, a rotary measuring device including a horizontal shaft coaxial with said wall and having a series of blades movable along said wall during the rotation of said shaft, separate out lets at the opposite-ends of said tank, a pair of partitions between said wall and one of 7 said outlets, one of said partitions being adjustable in height, and means for delivering stock to the space between said partitions. i'

-' Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of r Fair-field and state of Connecticut, this 22 da of May, A. D. 1928.

' HARRY E. 'HOLCOMB. 

